Knitting machine attachment



J. A. RUTH Nov. 27, 1945.

KNI TT ING MACHINE ATTACHMENT Filed May 15, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 (Ittdmeg Nov. 27, 1945. J. A. RUTH 2,389,688

KNITTING MACHINE ATTACHMENT Filed May 15, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 3nventor (Ittomeg Nov. 27, 1945. J. A. RUTH 2,389,688 A KNITTING MACHINE ATTACHMENT Filed May 15, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 M a. m;

Zhwentor (Ittorneg ateaassa v agsacss xm'rrmc mcnmn a'rmcmmmr M A. man, High Point, N. o. appummiimay 15, 1944, Serial No. 535,631

9 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to a combined stop motion and latch opener for circular knitting machines wherein a unitary fitting is mounted on the latch ring and carries a detector for needles having broken butts or which maynot for any reason have been lowered at the wave and also carries a member adapted to engage latches of the needles of a knitting machine which may not have been opened properly upon being raised after passing the knitting wave, and also carries a latch opener adapted to be automatically thrown into operation foropening the needle latches during the knitting of the makeup portion of a sock or stocking, the raised needle detector and the closed latch detector being inter-connected together whereby when the closed latch detector is actuated, it will actuate a suitable stop motion device to stop the machine, and also wherev the raised needle detector is actuated, it will also actuate this same stop motion device to stop the machine, together with means for automatically withdrawing the raised Figure 3 is a top plan view on anenlarged scale of the upper left-hand portion of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line H in Figure 3;

Figure isa cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 in Figure 3.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral indicates the cylinder housing 01 a knitting machine, only a portion of the frame work of this knitting machine being shown,

including legs Illa, pattern drum ll, having conventional cams l2 thereon, the pattern drum being mounted on a shaft l3 and having a circular plate portion l4 within which the cylinder l5 revolves. Fixed on plat I I is an upstanding forked portion l6 having a latch ring I'I pivoted between the two forks of member I 6 as at l8. This latch ring has an upstanding portion l9 beneath which is pivotally mounted a plurality of yarn feed fingers 20. The free end of the latch ring I! is adapted to fit down onto a post needle detector during reciprocatory knitting to-' gether with automatic means whereby when the latch opener is placed into operation, the closed latch detector will be automatically withdrawn from operation, all of the above mechanisms cooperating with a single stop motion or belt shifter to shift the belt from a tight pulley to a loose pulley on the knitting machine.

It is an object of this invention to provide a combined stop motion and latch opener adapted to be attached to and pivoted with the latch ring of a knitting machine, whereby when the latch ring is pivoted upwardly, this combined stop motion and latch opener will move upwardly with the latch ring and be entirely out of the way of the needles and other operating mechanism associated with the cylinder.

It is another object of this invention to provide a broken butt needle detector, 2. closed latch detector, a latch opener, all provided with a unitary mounting disposed on and attached to the latch ring, the broken butt detector and the closed latch detector cooperating with each other to shift the belt on the knitting machine to stop rotation of the cylinder and also having a latch opener adapted to be automatically placed into operation during make-up knitting and having means for automatically withdrawing the closed latch detector from operation.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a circular knitting machine showing my invention associated therewith;

Figure 2 is an end elevation looking from the left-hand end of Figure 1;

22 and latched by means of a latch spring '23 engaging a pin 24 extending from the latch ring. Immediately below the latch ring is a sinker ring 25 having a plurality of sinkers 2-6 thereon adapted to cooperate with the needles 21 mounted in cylinder l5 of the knitting machine. The pattern drum H has associated therewith a plurality of push bars 30 for manipulating the yarn feed fingers and for throwing the same into and out of operation. One of these push bars 30 is adapted to engage a projection 31 on pivoted lever 32 for moving the gap closer mechanism to closed position. The upper end of arm 32 has pivotally secured thereto a rod 33 whose other end is'pivoted in the gap closer 34 mounted on the latch ring i1. One

- end of the rod or link 33, as above-stated, is

pivotally mounted in the upper end oflever 32 and has secured thereto a tension spring 36 whose other end is secured to a spring perch 31 secured to the latch ring which tends to hold the parts in the position shown in th drawings to thus leave the throat plate gap in open position. The conventional knitting machine also has a slotted bar 46 in which the push rods 30 operate, and it has a top table portion 4| and tight pulleys 42 and 43 and loose pulley 44 all shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 as being mounted on a drive shaft 45 also shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. The machine also has a conventional forked member 46 mounted on slidable rods l! and 48 for shifting the belt from one of the tight pulleys 42 or 43 to the loose pulley 44 for stopping the knitting machine. The machine also has a ver-' tically disposed flanged portion having a hole 49 therein in which a stand for supporting packages of yarn is held, said stand being omitted in the drawings.

Fixedly secured to the left-hand side of the latch ring I1. and near its pivot point I8 by any suitable means such as screws 58 is a plate on which the detectors andlatch opener are mounted. A member 52 is pivotally mounted approximately midway its ends on a screw 53 which is threadably mounted in plate 5|. This member 52 has upturned ends 54 and 55 in which is slidably mounted a raised needle detector finger 56 whose pointed end is adapted to overlap the needle circle and to project into the conventional cut-away portion in the latch ring immediately above the knitting cam so that as the needles pass this point, they should be in lowered or knitting position. This detector finger 58 is normally pressed to the position shown in the drawings by means of a compression spring 51 disposed between the upstanding end 54 and a-collar 58 adjustably secured on the detector finger 55 by means of a set screw 68 which is adapted normally to lie flushagainst the inside surface of the upstanding projection 55. Secured around set screw 88 is a wire 8| which slidably penetrates a plate 82 fixed on the pivoted lever 32, said wire 8| having a stop collar 83 adjustably secured thereon and adapted to be engaged by the plate 82 when the gap closer is moved to gap closing position to thus withdraw the detector finger 56 from across the needle path. Member 52 has integral therewith and extending at approximate right angles thereto an arm 64 which has fixedly secured thereto by means of a screw 65 a. wire portion 66 of a Bowden wire 51, this Bowden wire being secured in a clip 88 secured on the upstanding portion I8 of the latch ring.

The Bowden wire then extends rearwardly around to the rear of the machine and over onto the table portion H where it is fixedly secured in a clip 18 fixed on the table 4I and has the slidable wire portion 66 therein secured to a bell crank 13 by means of a screw 1! adjustably mounted in a slot 12 in one end of the bell crank latch 13 pivoted as at 14 on an upstanding portion 15 of a member 16 fixed on the table 4I by any suitable means such as screws 11. This portion 15 has mounted therein a set screw 18 adapted to limit movement of the latch end 88 of the bell crank latch 13. The latch portion 88 is adapted to engage the horizontal upper end 8| of a vertically disposed rod or shaft 82 rotatably mounted inthe member 18 near its upper ends in a transverse member 83 at its lower end. ,This transverse n'iember 83 is fixedly secured to two of the legs I8a of the knitting machine by any suitable means such as screws 84. The transverse member 83 has an inwardly and laterally projecting leg 85 extending to the side of the machine on which the pulleys 42, 43, and 44 are mounted. The vertical portion of shaft 82 is rotatably mounted in the portions 16 and 83, and near its lower end has a collar 81 fixedly secured thereon. which has integral therewith an arm 88 which has pivoted at the free end thereof a link 89. The other end of link 89 is pivoted as at 88 to an oifset lever 8| which is pivoted as at 92 to the outer free end .of the member 85. The member 9i thenprojects a tension. spring 84 whose other end is secured to the transverse member 83 adjacent the lefthand post I8a as shown in Figure 1. Pivotally secured to the pivoted member 52 for the detector finger 58 as at I88 is a bar III which is slotted as at I82 and is adlustably secured to a link III by means of a bolt I84. The link III has a slot I85 therein loosely penetrated by a bolt I88 mounted in member I81. The member I81 is pivotally mounted as at I88 in plate 5I. Slidahly mounted in upturned ends H8 and III of member I81 is a closed latch detector II2. This detector II! is normally urged towards the needle circle by means of a compression spring I I3 surroundingthe detector II2. This detector II2 has adjustably'secured thereon a block 4 by a set screw H5 which also receives and confines a wire portion II8 of a Bowden wire I", which wire II! is confined in a screw post I I8 on plate 5 I. Pivotal movement of member I81 is limited in a counter-clockwise manner in-Figure 3 by means of an adjustable stop plate H9 mounted on plate 5i by any suitable means such as a screw I25. The Bowden wire II1 extends downwardly and is secured as at I28 in the lower end of an arm I2I fixed on the periphery of plate I4. The wire portion H8 of the Bowden wire H1 is secured as at I22 to a lever I23 which is pivotally mounted as at I24 on one end of the rack member 48. The other end of lever I23 has a cam surface I38 adapted to engage a cam I3I on the end of the pattern drum II for raising the left-hand end of lever I23 for a very short interval for the first few revolutions of the needle cylinder while the make-up of a stocking is being knitted. Pivotally secured to the lever I23 is a link I35 which has a turnbuckle mechanism. I38 intermediate its ends for adjusting the overall length of the rod or link I35. The upper end ofthe link I35 is connected to one end of a bell crank lever I48 pivoted as. at I and the upstanding leg of lever I48 lightly engages a. latch opening finger I42 whose operation will be presently described. When the left- I35 is moved upwardly by cam surface I38 ridin over cam I3 I, the upper end of lever I48 will allow tension spring I58 to pull the block I45 against set screw I54 and allow the free pointed end of finger I42 to pass inwardly to where it will engage the closed latches of the needles and open the same, this happening during the first few courses of knitting a stocking, or what is called the makeup operation. As before described, when the lever I48 is moved at its upper end in a clockwise manner as shown in Figure 2, the wire N6 of Bowden wire arrangement I I1 will withdraw the point of member II2 from the needle circle and the pointed end of finger I42 will be substituted.

Method of operation I opener I42 and the lever I 48. When it is desired to raise the latch ring, it is seen that since all of this mechanism is mounted on plate 5| afiixed to the latch ring, that all of the various mechanism shown in Figure 8 raises upwardly with the latch ring and thus prevents no obstruction to any work which is desired to be done on'the needles or the cylinder. 7

The detector 58 is normally projected across the needle circle and above the lowered needles which are lowered in the knitting wave. In case a needle has its butt broken or for any other reason is not lowered in the knitting wave, this needle will strike the pointed end of the detector 56, and will swing the mounting 52 on pivot/53 which will pull wire fiI and will trip the latch 80 and allow tensin spring 9 3 to swing lever 9i on its pivot 92 to thus shift the belt to the idler pulley. This swinging movement of member 52, it might be mentioned, is controlled in both directions by means of an adjustable stop I60 mounted on plate I by means of a screw IBI. The natural position of lever I23 disposed in close proximity to the pattern wheel II normally holds lever N0 in a position to hold the latch opener finger I32 out of contact with the latches of the needles.

The member 52 is connected by means of links- IIII and I03 to the member IN, but since this is a slidable connection, when the detector 56 is engaged by a raised needle, the position of detector M2 for closed latches is not disturbed on account of the fact that bolt I 06 will slide in slot I05. Now in case reciprocatory knitting is to be engaged in, the gap closer 35 will be moved by swinging of the lever 32 in a clockwise manner in Figure 3, and this will cause the wire BI and its stop 63 by means of plate '62 to pull the detector needle finger 56 from across the needle circle so that this feature will be inoperative during reciprocatory knitting.

Instead of having a second Bowden wire or other connections between the belt shifting mechanism and the detector finger I I2, it is noted that with the parts in the position as shown in the drawings, that if the detector I I2 should engage a closed latch in a needle, it will swing the finger H2 along with its supporting member I01 on its pivot I08, and since the bolt I06 is near the upper end of the slot I05 in Figure 3, the swinging of needle H2 and its supporting member I01 will push links I03 and Ilil as a unit away from the observer in Figures 1 and 3, and this will swing 50 member 52 on its pivot 53 which will pull the wire 66 and operate the belt shifting mechanism in the same manner as if it had been a detection of a raised needle.

Now in case of knitting during a make-up, or 55 the first few courses in a stocking, when it is not desired to employ the closed latch detector I I2, it is to be noted that when the cam surface I rides onto cam I 3i, Bowden wire H6 will pull the closed latch detector I I2 away from the needle 60 circle, and the link I will swing the lever I in a clockwise manner on its pivot MI in Figure 2 which will release the pressure on the other end of latch opener I42, and will allow its tension spring I to move block I45 against the end of set screw I54 which will allow the pointed end of the latch opener I 42 to swing into a position where its pointed end will pass below the hooks of the needles and behind the closed latches, and thus open the latches during the make-up knitting in 7 a sock or stocking.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a knitting machine having a latch ring pivoted for upward movement relative to the needles, and having a slidably mounted fork for shifting the belt from a tight pulley to a loose pulley of the knitting machine and having a pattern drum, 9. plate fixedly secured on theJatch ring, a plurality of detecting devices adapted to engage portions of the needles mounted on said plate, means for engaging said fork to shift the belt from the tight pulley on the knitting machine to the loose pulley, means normally urging the fork engaging means to move the fork to position the belt on the loose pulley, means for latching the fork engaging means in a position to hold the belt on a tight pulley of the knitting machine, interconnected means between said plurality of detecting devices mounted on said plate and the latch for actuating the latch to release the forked engaging means when any irregularity is detected by the detecting devices in the needles.

2. In a knitting machine having a pattern drumand belt shifting means for stopping the machine, said knitting machine also having a pivoted latch ring, a plate mounted on said latch ring and projecting laterally therefrom, a, spring-pressed detecting finger mounted on said plate, and adapted to normally occupy a position extending across the needle circle immediately above the knitting cam, said detector finger being swingable when it engages a raised needle, and stop motion means operable by swinging movement of the detector finger for shifting the belt from a tight pulley to the loose pulley on the knitting machine, a second detecting finger swingably mounted on said plate and having spring-pressed means for holding it in position where its inner end will engage closed latches of a needle as the cylinder rotates the needles past the end of the second detecting finger, and means connecting the second detecting finger with the first detecting finger, so that upon engagement of a closed latch by the second detecting finger, both the first and second detecting fingers will be swung on their pivots, and the stop motion means will be'actuated.

3. In a knitting machine having a, rotatable needle cylinder and pattern drum and belt shifting means for moving the driving belt from a tight pulley to a loose pulley on the knitting machine drive shaft, a plate mounted on the latch ring and extending laterally thereof, a, raised needle detector finger slidably and rotatably mounted on said plate, and adapted to normally occupy a position extending across the needle circle and above the knitting cam so as to engage needles which are not lowered in the knitting wave, a connection between said detector finger and the belt shifting means for allowing movement of the belt and first detector fingers for swinging the first detector finger when the second detector finger engages a closed latch of a needle, to thereby actuate the stop motion means, a lever pivoted adjacent the pattern drum, said pattern drum having a cam thereon adapted to be engaged by one end of the lever, a latch opener pivotally mounted on said plate and normally biased to move into engagement with the latches of needles passing mechanism, and also having a pivoted latch ring,

a bracket secured on one side of the latch ring and extending laterally thereof, a pivotally and slidablymounted finger for detecting raised nee-- dles mounted on said bracket, a pivotally and slidably mounted second finger mounted in said bracket for detecting closed latches in the needles, interconnecting means between the two fingers. said fingers being adapted to be swung when they engage a raised needle at the knitting wave or a closed latch in a raised needle, and means operable by swinging movement of either of said detector fingers for permitting operation of the belt shifting mechanism to shift thebelt from a tight'pulley to a loose pulley on the knitting machine.

5. In a circular knitting machine having a rotary cylinder provided with a plurality of needles and having a pattern drum and a belt shifting mechanism, and also having a pivoted latch ring, a bracket secured on one side of the latch ring and extending laterally thereof, a pivotally and slidably mounted finger for detecting raised needles mounted on said bracket, 9, pivotally and slidably mounted second finger mounted on said bracket for detecting closed latches in the needles, interconnecting means between the two fingers, said fingers being adapted to be swung when they engage a raised needle at the knitting wave or a closed latch in a raised needle, and means operable by swinging movement of either of said detector fingers for permitting operation of the belt shifting mechanism to shift the belt from a tight pulley to a loose pulley on the knitting machine, a swingable finger mounted on said bracket and normally biased to swing below the hooks of the needles and above the pivot points of the latches for opening the latches during reciprocatory knitting, means for withdrawing the raised needle detector finger from across the needle circle during reciprocatory knitting and means controlled by the pattern drum for allowing the latch opening finger to move into a position to engage and open latches of needles during a make-up operation, and also for withdrawing the engagement with a closed latch will also swing the first finger and actuate the means for permitting the shifting mechanism to shiftthe belt from a tight pulley to a loose pulley on a knitting machine. I

7. In a knitting machine having a rotary needle cylinder equipped with needles and having a pivoted latch ring and a pattern drum and loose and tight pulleys and a belt shifting mechanism, a bracket mounted on the pivoted latch ring and extending laterally thereof, a detector finger slidably and pivotally mounted on the bracket, and extending across the needle circle above the knitting cam, a second finger slidably and pivotally mounted on the bracket and extending to a point to engage closed latches of needles passing mechanism in a position to hold a belt on a tiBI pulley of the machine and means controlled by the swinging of-either of said detector fingers upon engagement with a needle for actuating the means for moving the belt shiftin mechanism to shift the belt from a tight pulley to a loose pulley on the knitting machine.

8. In a knitting machine having a rotary needle cylinder equipped with needles and having a pivoted latch ring and a pattern drum and loose and tight pulleys and a belt shifting mechanism, a bracket mounted on the pivoted latch 3 ring and extending laterally thereof, a detector finger slidably and pivotally mounted on the bracket, and extending across the needle circle above the knitting cam, a second finger slidably and pivotally mounted on the bracket and extending to a point to engage closed latches of needles passing by its end, means for holding the belt shifting mechanism in a position to hold a belt on a tight pulley of the machine and means controlled by the swinging of either of said de- 0 tector fingers upon engagement with a needle/tor controlled by the pattern drum for allowin movement of the latch opener to engage and open latches during knitting of a make-up portion of a stocking and said pattern drum controlled means also withdrawing the closed latch detector from operative engagement with the latches closed latch detector from operative position dur- 60 of the latch ring, a plate mounted on the latch ing the knitting of a. make-up portion of a stock- 6. In a knitting machine having a pattern drum, a rotary needle cylinder, equipped with needles, and having loose and tight pulleys and a belt shifter for shifting thebelt from one pulley to another, a slidably and pivotally mounted detector'flnger normally biased to move across the needle circle to engagea raised needle as it passes the knitting cam, a second detector finger slidably and pivotally mounted and normally urged to move to a position to engage closed latches of needles as'they pass the end of the second finger, means interconnecting the two fingers so that swinging movement cit-the second finger upon of needles. I

9. In a knitting machine having a latch rin pivoted for upward movement relative to the needles and having a slidably mounted fork for shifting the belt from a tight pulley to a loose pulley of the knitting machine, and also having a gap closer for closing the throat of the latch ring during reciprocatory knitting, together with means for moving the gap closer across the throat mally holding the belt shifting means in position to hold the belt on a tight pulley, means controlled by swinging of the detector finger by engagement with a raised needle for allowing the belt shifting means to shift the belt from a tight pulley to a loose pulley, and means operable by the moving of the gap closed to closed position for withdrawing said detector finger from across the needle circle.

JAMES A. RUTH. 

